By Kent Berk on July 15th, 2025 in PROBATE LITIGATION
As part of our ongoing commitment to staying informed—and keeping our colleagues, clients, and community informed—we’re sharing this latest update from the Maricopa County Superior Court Probate Bench/Bar meeting, lead by Hon. Commissioner Vanessa Smith. At Berk Law Group, we focus exclusively on probate, trust, and estate litigation. Understanding and adapting to court changes is essential to providing exceptional representation in these complex and evolving matters.
Here are the key takeaways from the July 15, 2025 Probate Bench/Bar meeting:
Judicial Assignments and Court Structure
- Comm. Yost was introduced as the new Probate Judicial Officer, taking over Comm. Corral’s calendar after coming off the criminal bench.
- All probate judicial officers (JOs) are now located exclusively at the Old Courthouse (OCH). There are no probate divisions at the Northwest, Northeast, or other regional facilities.
- The Court now has 8 divisions, with balanced caseloads across the board.
- Each commissioner/judge will retain and handle their own trials, regardless of length. No longer will lengthy trials be assigned to the Presiding Probate Judge.
E-Filing & Paper Filings
- E-filing for probate in Maricopa County is expected to launch by the end of summer.
- Training will be provided.
- E-filing will apply only to subsequent filings after case initiation.
- Original wills and initial filings must still be submitted in paper form.
Technology and Process Updates
- A new electronic case management system system for Court Appointed Counsel (CAC) is being developed, allowing CAC to log in, view cases, and track invoices/payments through a portal.
- The Court is evaluating CaseLines as a possible software solution for handling exhibits and is currently working with the company on licensing.
- In the meantime, there is an Electronic portal for exhibits via the Clerk of Court (COC) website and is generally referenced in the Minute Entry (ME) setting trial.
Court Operations and Assignments
- An updated judicial assignment list has been issued. If you missed it, you can download it here.
- All courtroom divisions will be assigned courtroom assistants to support case management and judicial assistants.
- Virtual hearings remain available. Parties may appear in person without advance notice. Just show up.
- Older cases may have been reallocated without updated MEs, so each case should be verified for current judicial assignment.
- MEs announcing case reassignments were only issued for matters with scheduled hearings, so it is essential that paralegals double-check all case assignments to ensure filings are directed to the correct division and attorneys appear before the correct JO.
Next Meeting
- The next Bench/Bar meeting is scheduled for October 15, 2025.
- A guest speaker is tentatively scheduled — possibly Lynda Sheeley regarding ethics and fee statement redactions.
